Worship: Who Are You to Say What it Is?!

I saw a post on a friend’s Facebook wall the other day. There was a discussion about worship styles (traditional vs. contemporary) and someone made the statement, “Well, who are you to say what is worship and what isn’t?” I can’t get that out of my mind.
The person making the statement was implying (I believe) that there is no objective standard by which to determine what is, or is not, proper worship. That is simply not true. On the other hand, WE as mere humans are NOT that plumb line. The scripture says “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in Truth.” (John 4:24)

What is True Worship?

True worship must be intellectual. We must love our God with all of our minds (Luke 10:27). It should not be shallow or meaningless repetition (Matthew 6:7), but should be directed to God, and must reflect accurately who He is and what He has done.

True worship must be Christ-centered. There is no other name that has been given under heaven whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Apart from the Lordship of Jesus Christ over the totality of life, all worship is devoid of purpose.

True worship must be heart-felt. We should not fall into the trap of going through the motions in an attempt to psych ourselves up emotionally, or trying to impress God with our stalwart devotion. We are to LOVE God with ALL of our heart (Luke 10:27).

Worship is not about what we like. It is not about style. It is about worshiping God in the way that He wants to be worshiped. Worship is about giving all that we are, for all that He is. Worship should not be a narcissistic expression of us and how great we are. In worship (which is much more than just music or singing), we should respond to God out of a heart of gratitude for how great He is, and for what He has done for us.

While we cannot help but express our thankfulness to God in culturally diverse ways (we are, in fact, culturally diverse), true worship is ultimately not about culture, or Art, or expressions of talent (although these factors are sometimes involved). Worship is about the God who is there. It is about knowing Him, and being known by Him.

Worship should never be divorced from sound theology. Worship should not be divorced from church history. Worship should never be about preference and style, and most importantly, worship must NEVER be about us.

6 Comments

Wow, that was very well put. I have struggled the past decade with what the church has been calling worship. I came upon Joe Morecraft’s book “How God Wants Us to Worship Him”. It speaks to much of what you said in your article. Thank you for writing this. I am going to share this on my blog and on face book. I so want people to know what true worship is and it isn’t what is seen in most churches today.

Jesus told us to avoid “vain and meaningless babblings,” or thinking that we will be heard because of our “many words.” It is clear that the Pharisees were engaged in a repetition that displeased the Lord.

On the other hand, you can look at Psalm 136 and recognize a Holy Spirit inspired use of repetition in “call and response” worship.

There is also, in many places in Scripture (particularly in the Psalms) an emphasis on the importance of remembering and telling the stories once again (Psalm 78 comes to mind).

I think we need to be reminded again about familiar truths, so in that sense an emphasis on the new and novel disconnects us from the positive virtues of tradition or liturgy. The danger of repetitious liturgy, in my view, is that it can become mechanical and leave you going through the motions without it being genuine worship.

In terms of repetition in modern worship songs, I like what Matt Redman says regarding structuring a song so that the verses are declaring who God is and what He has done (call), and then allowing your heart to explode in thanksgiving and celebration (response) on the chorus.

I think repetition can be powerful if used wisely and far more judiciously than is currently practiced.

I also like the verse from Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” – helped me see it’s a lot less to do with music and a lot more to do with how I live my life. Good post Israel!

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Biblical Worldview is maintained by Israel Wayne, author and popular conference speaker. Over the years, he has spoken on worldview and apologetics issues at churches, conferences and events across the country and world.